#especially considering. Tomorrow™

[lordsardine]

.

[overly-verbose]

Seriously, bro's a professional yapper lmfao

Tbf it's not completely unprovoked and he does just want to at least try explaining some things, if in a roundabout way, to make people more at ease (if not in the moment then overall) but, well-

sometimes it has the opposite effect lmao 😂

Also like, it's absolutely hilarious how I thought

'oh but this is just, like three scenes - how long could this be'

but all the freaking talking and stuff that everyone's doing is making Part 8 the second longest in the series 😂😂😂💀😂

(I fear for my poor brain, man - we've only just barely almost covered the Detention Center Arc

(and a little bit of the VS Mahito Arc Mahito Gets Curse PTSD Arc but I do wanna fill in some of the gaps between those)

and it's already gonna be over 40k words???

Why am I being so ambitious for my first ever proper writing project frrr *perishes a bit*

but I do hope to get it to the end - and beyond because there's no way I wouldn't constantly add to the post-main-plot shenanigans lol - however long that takes heh (just try to be patient with me pls I try my best here 😂) 👍)

[onwhatcaptain]

I still have tons to say about the Garashir Goes Canon™ moment in Lower Decks so here is my big meta post about it! Below the cut is a meta discussion about the penultimate Lower Decks episode, contextualizing what it means for something to become canon.

To be clear, this is a mostly positive post with analysis included. You’ll see lots of love for Garashir and Lower Decks and also oodles of fandom meta below the cut, since we have a complicated relationship with Paramount. My analysis and graphic is based on a recent lecture about Star Trek canon I gave at KiScon!

First, I have to say that both Unification and this Lower Decks episode following mere weeks after of my lecture panel at KiScon titled Fuck Paramount, about what Star Trek canon really is and what its place is in relation to us as slash fans, is absolutely mind-blowing timing. I wish everyone in both the K/S and Garashir fandoms had been able to attend it because it was absolutely designed to serve as a framework for both of these major fandom moments. And also it was just funny as hell. But most importantly, it was relevant, and existed to give us a sense of understanding when navigating Paramount hell, particularly when they play Gay Chicken (will they, won’t they — most of the time, they won’t).

Since not every single Star Trek fan on this website was at KiScon last month, I want to expand on that a little more here, this time in Garashir context, since last time it was centered on K/S, though Garashir came up several times! When I was giving my lecture, I asked the audience what it would look like if K/S were made canon tomorrow. Everyone had different ideas—but the most common theme that came up was sheer distrust of Paramount doing it justice.

For those of you that are reading this, the thesis of Fuck Paramount was that you as a fan and a viewer have more control over what is and isn’t canon than you think, and that our role as fans is to take ownership of our stories back from corporate interests. I also developed a four-sided framework to describe how we interact with canon to take power back and make sense of canon. Both Unification and the very, very fresh Lower Decks episode have already been controversial for a number of reasons, the primary one they share being: “Wait… does this make this canon?”

So far it looks like the main reactions for this Lower Decks episode (especially considering how sudden and late in its run it is) are mostly “HOLY SHIT THEY REALLY DID IT” and “I AM DISAPPOINTED BY THE MERE SCRAPS.”

And my position on it is that both of them are completely reasonable reactions that don’t contradict one another! I’m going to make the case for both sides as I try to explore the implications of this episode with respect to the episode’s subtext, corporate storytelling, and so forth. I’m not going to go too much into the academic aspects, but I am happy to make the original slides available for anyone who is curious about my canon analysis framework.

Why It’s Enough

On one hand, this episode is done well. Undeniably. It’s a lot of fun. I have also said many times before that the only way I’d want K/S or G/B to become canon is if they suddenly randomly drop the info that they were married and don’t bring it up again, because otherwise they might do more harm than good! This was an example of it done incredibly well, in my opinion.

This episode serves as all the confirmation you could possibly really need of Garashir. Yes, there are quite a few gimmicks involved—it’s all AU, all the way. Garak is now a surgeon from another dimension, and Bashir is from an entirely different dimension, and also not really himself, but a hologram. Here’s how they’re introduced:

WILLIAM BOIMLER: “Elim Garak, a brilliant Cardassian Surgeon—and his husband, an emergency medical hologram based on Dr. Julian Bashir.”

What I really love about this moment is that it actually does more than it looks like it does, at face value. For most of us, our first instinct is to go, whatever, he’s based on Bashir, he’s not even the real one! But what they did here was brilliant—it serves as implicit confirmation that our man Bashir is also bisexual, and loves Garak. He is indeed not a corporeal human being, but as the DS9 episode where the LMH is designed based on Bashir tells us, the hologram is designed and based on who he is. It has his personality traits. Interviews are conducted to make sure that the hologram is as authentic and true to the real thing as possible:

O'BRIEN: “You mean this programme is going to have all of his personal likes and dislikes?” ZIMMERMAN: “That is why we bother to choose a human template in the first place.”

William Boimler, from the prime Star Trek universe, doesn’t say the EMH is based on some Bashir, he says this one is based on Dr. Julian Bashir. Again, this serves as clear confirmation that he is modeled on recognizably the same character from DS9. They’re not that different in essence from their prime universe counterparts, or it wouldn’t be fun for the writers or the audience. We learn that Garak is still former Obsidian Order. They are still the same people, in essence. They may be AU characters but the point is for them to be similar to the originals, or they may as well just have been some guys!

The important thing, for me, is that it’s a clear, unambiguous acknowledgement. It’s played straight. Well, not straight—but not as some elaborate joke or filled with contempt. It doesn’t tease and doesn’t dance around the issue and wink and nudge, begging the viewer to question whether or not they’re together. That much is made immediately very clear. In the episode, AU Garak and AU EMH Bashir are a married couple, and they kiss. Every moment of their relationship is sincere, the comedic moments being not about the fact that their relationship exists, but about the dynamics it brings to the story. It also tells us very clearly that they’re not even from the same universe, and that their compatibility remains nonetheless:

HARRY KIM: “Are they from the same reality?” CURZON: “No, but they love to brag about how statistically unlikely their marriage is.”

Again, I tend to see this as a positive nod to the compatibility of these characters rather than a brush-off that says the prime universe Garashir couldn’t be together. And then Garak tells us his universe’s Bashir is like the original: still a racquetball player and competes with Chief O’Brien—again, revealing quite a bit.

And the B-plot is about them squabbling, acknowledging very clearly to us that Cardassians really do just love flirting via argument, which serves as a brilliant nod to everyone who complained for three decades that the DS9 writers never really admitted that Bashir and Garak were just flirting. Finally! The writers seem to understand quite well what’s important to us, even if this isn’t the ‘Real Garashir.’

What satisfies me ultimately is that this doesn’t in any way look like a rejection of the possibility of Garashir in the prime universe. It looks to me like it supports the text, not a mean-spirited denial that it could only happen under bizarre AU circumstances. To sum it up with another Boimler quote:

BOIMLER: “The multiverse is just a rehash of stuff I already know.”

Hm… :)

And as I pointed out in a prior post, the whole point of the episode is to show that even in different circumstances and worlds, the love characters have for one another remains a constant and is utterly transcendent. The episode straight up tells us that some relationships are so powerful that they span dimensions and realities, and then Garak and Bashir say they would follow one another to any reality!

In my panel-lecture, I said, “[Paramount’s control over the text] suggests that certain readings require their endorsement or confirmation to be true.” But this doesn’t feel like that to me, and so I accept this. It leaves room for possibilities of all kinds, and opens more doors rather than closing them. I can appreciate that.

I also spoke about how canon isn’t one thing—not a binary yes or a no, and that there is no singular meaning. I call this multiplicity:

“Multiplicity is about the continuous proliferation of ideas and the rejection of the text as having a single meaning. It rejects mere viewing or the consumption of media in favor of dialogue and participation rather than a one-way communication.”

This episode served to defy singular interpretations of the text. It tells us that there are infinite possibilities and it took a route that challenges the single-story interpretation of Garashir = Not Canon. It made room for new perspectives and affirmed what “the stuff we already know.”

Why It’s Not Enough

Now for the other side of the coin: why it’s not enough. As exciting as it is to have this kind of confirmation from the current writers for Star Trek in a frankly increasingly conservative storytelling environment, it’s still disappointing for many people that even in the most progressive Star Trek that exists, they cannot or will not openly state that the prime universe Garashir got the ending and acknowledgment they deserved. 

It feels like begging Paramount as a corporation for scraps and thanking them for what really doesn’t feel like enough—it stops short of full, sincere, complete validation of Garashir’s queerness. As I said in my panel, it’s normal for us to want confirmation from the writers and creators that what we’re seeing is real and not just imagined, even when the role of fanfiction is for us to transform canon and reject it ourselves.

It’s absolutely exhausting for us to say we see something that is continuously denied by those who ‘own’ the story in favor of mass appeal, and to me, that is a legitimate perspective that can coexist with the idea that fandom is designed reshape the canon to fits its own needs, and that we don’t need confirmation from the creators for something to be true. Fandom exists to defy corporate ownership of stories, but to have to fight for mere moments where marginalized perspectives are foregrounded causes anger for good reason. We may not need confirmation from them, but saying that we should never expect anything from Paramount releases the corporation of accountability and obligation to respect the audience and their own characters. We should be able to expect and trust that these characters and their relationships can be done justice by those who have the privilege of steering that ship.

It’s one thing for me to say that this episode affirms the reality of Garashir, but it’s also true that prime Garashir probably could not be given complete canonization because this is the best way they knew how to ‘get away with it’ all while maintaining its mainstream and popular appeal with heteronormative audiences that would have a problem or reject it if it happened to ‘real Garashir.’

Slash fans, for decades, have existed in the lane of compromise—firmly between having our truth validated and entirely rejected in favor of a Star Trek that is designed to be sold as a product to as many people as possible. Rarely do we receive more than a bone tossed to us by the powers that be, and when we do receive it, it’s on their incomplete terms, often with massive concessions made to make it happen. For Garashir to receive their blessing, they had to twist it into an AU. The reason they could do this episode is because it gave them the neat plausible deniability to also say this has nothing at all to do with prime Garashir, so that it didn’t entirely alienate audiences who wouldn’t support a queer narrative.

This is their way of having their cake and eating it too. In some ways, it looks like they’re just trying to make everyone happy, but the story shouldn’t have to make everyone happy, and a compromise can really just feel like everyone loses, or like prioritizing the status quo again. For decades, the status quo has always left those with marginalized readings of the text unhappy, sidelined by a narrative that is supposed to be progressive and supposed to look to a future where queerness is natural and not taboo. And if this is the best they can do, it’s only reasonable that it should still sadden us, disappoint us, anger us. It’s hard not to resent that reality.

What Now?

I urge folks to continue negotiating the text, as I did above in the first section. I made sense of it in a way that fits my understanding of Garashir! You do not have to assume that there’s no more to it than that because it was all that was said on screen. We don’t have to look at canonization as the final say on the text. My perspective is that we should take it as a wonderful and deserved affirmation, and continue to transform the canon as we see fit. This is your time to decide what it means for these characters. Personally, I see it as a massively positive step forward. Just remember that where canon is concerned, you are in control of what it means.

Canon is still transformable, multiplicative, negotiated, and timely. Holders of the ‘IP’ are only one piece of the puzzle where the truth of a story is concerned. So take this as a beginning to more, not an end! As I like to say, “canon is a means to an end, not the end itself.”

Also, please don’t hesitate to add your thoughts, questions, comments, or anything else. I hope you enjoyed this meta post, if you read this far.

[lhaewielsfandomocs]

CQL/MDZS / OC 1: Head Disciple Xu

And ofc dramas have eaten my head and in particular way MDZS still holds a very special place in my heart. So I created several OCs. this is one, because I love Jiang Cheng and I love giving him competent and reliable staff. Here's the first.

OG posts: here and here.

He is Head Disciple Bai Zhang Xu, Head Disciple Xu for pretty much everyone in the Yunmeng Jiang Sect.

If I had to assign him a role, he is the dad friend of the group. Considering the general unruliness of JC's disciples, when WWX ""defected"", JC decided that he really someone less unhinged as his Head Disciple, because let's face it, the man has A LOT on his plate, he's got accountancy, and spreadsheets, and a sect to run and he really needs someone a bit more focused and less unhinged.

The choice fell on Bai Zhang Xu, former rogue cultivator who joined the Jiang sect during the war for some easy money and ultimately stayed because JC is a great leader with a heart capable of caring about every single one of the people underneath him like family.

Which never really happened to Head Disciple Xu before joining the Jiang sect, he used to be really bitter about family, as he lost his parents very early on and grew up on the street basically.

Bai Zhang Xu is fiercely protective of the Jiang Sect and especially of their leader, he has been ready to throw hands with THE Hanguang-jun because once his micro-frown translated as "gtfo my way JIANG WANYIN, you TRASH" and Zhang Xu was not having it, like "MY leader has WELCOMED each one of us regardless, he has given us WORTH and SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD, HOW DARE YOU."

But most importantly, JC has made him realize that he can be a good second in command.

Zhang Xu will be the one dragging out of the office JC at 2 AM cos the paperwork is not finished, but "Jiang-zongzhu, YOU NEED SLEEP, PLS GO THE FUCK TO SLEEP, I will finish thes annoying papers, PLS, it's 2AM, you have to wake up early tomorrow, cos Old Man Yao is coming to propose one of her daughters to you, yes, don't worry, my team has already prepared the traps, they will not even get through the entrance."

He will also be (C)That Bitch™ when JC is way too tired or done to yell around his grievances. He will be the first one to check on JC and drag him out of the battlefield when injured.

When WWX comes back, he raises several brows, but when he sees that JC is chill with it he relaxes.

MORE LORE

Bai Zhang Xu (白张许)

In my head he is 2-3 years older than Jiang Cheng, which is good I think, because JC will listen to him if he pulls the “older brother voice” when his sect leader stays too late crouched on his spreadsheets, or forgets to eat, or will go on nothing but tea and spite.

As mentioned, he is a former rogue cultivator. His father is still alive and currently retired in a beautiful house in Yunping, but they are originally from the Yueyang area, Shaanxi.

He originally signed for Sunshot campaign to be with the Qinghe Nie, but sabres were really not his things and it showed, so he heard that the decimated Jiang sect was looking for manpower and wouldn’t be as picky.

And boy, oh boy. He had seen decimated sects, but he really did NOT expect three teenagers looking Extremely Tired and with Wildly Different Opinions On What To Do.

The pay was good enough, he gave this sect a chance.

He decided to fully commit to the Jiang Sect after being literally saved from death by Wen hands and weapons by Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian, and then being offered the amazing cooking Yanli had made once he was healed.

He had seen how the underlings were treated in the other sects - the encampment was big, but he had eyes - and the Jiang Sect was truly actually worrying about the safety of all its disciples and saw everyone as a precious life, even at its own disadvantage.

He then learned about the Lotus Pier massacre and he decided to stay, like pretty much everyone who joined the Jiang sect during the war. The sentiment was “these teens are going to get hurt in some way, they need support and manpower more than we need their money”.

And so he stayed.

He was promoted quite abruptly as Head Disciple.

Figure this: your sect leader has locked himself in his room, you can’t hear anything because there are bloody silencing spells and talismans all around. The rest of the disciples are running around like wild hogs and the annual reports are due to be submitted and the Chief Cultivator has made it clear that he does not care if JC has lost both brother and sister, he shoyld be HAPPY that the dangerous Yiling Laozu has been defeated and his dear sister, the late Jin Xiao Furen, has been avenged, but the Jiang disciples know the truth and they are ready to throw hands if anyone bothers their zhongzhu.

But the reports need to be done and if the disciples actually threw hands with anyone they would do horrible ends, so Bai Zhang Xu takes the paperworks, gathers everyone in a circle and starts clumsily working on them - his handwriting is horrible, the room everyone is in is absolute chaos. This for a week. But at least a quarter of the tax is done, albeit skewered a little, because He Shao, former fraud artist, said that “it’s gonna be fiiiiiinnnneeee, no one reads these things anyway”.

Anyway, JC come out of his room a week after, his face hollow, bags under his eyes, eyes red and puffy, possibly bloodied knuckles and scratches, hair disheveled and the look of a man ready to bite anyone who dares come near him.

JC sees the disciples around the paperwork, snatches it from Bai Zhang Xu’s hands and reads it. He looks at the disciples and gives them the Nod Of Approval, then gathers everything and goes to his office. He does raise a brow and motions BZX to follow.

BZX will see that his leader has screamed himself hoarse, but he does not comment.

JC sits at the desk, puts the pile of papers on the side, pulls out a blank paper, scribbles it, stamps it with the Yunmeng Jiang sigil and hands it to BZX, motioning him to read.

BZX reads.

JC has just elected him Head Disciple for his hard work and willingness to harness the feral gremlins who currently compose the entirety of the Jiang disciples.

BZX is speechless. Not a couple of years ago he was a nobody and now he is head disciple of the Jiang clan! He really wants to hug his sect leader, but the man is all spikes like a porcupine and if he tried the feat he’d end up dead.

Instead he kowtows - JC Nods Again, then motions him to go, he has PAPERS and REPORTS to do. And BZX goes, but the first act as Head Disciple is a huge “Sect Leader Jiang needs to be taken care of, so gather around, we need meds, food and drinks”

“But chief, we don’t have money!”

“Well… He Shao? Anything we can do?”

“How much should I skew things?”

“Plausibly enough not to raise everyone’s wrath.”

“I gotchu chief!”

BZX, in that week only, has gained pretty much everyone’s respect, so it just comes natural calling him Head Disciple.

And BZX launches there his career.

[rivendellwatch]

🌞✨ Happy 17th of May, my cozy creatures! ✨🌞

We are officially on Day 6 of Cozy Cuddle Week, and oh my stars — the event ends tomorrow?! 🥺 Time flies when you’re wrapped in fluff and warm feels!!!!💕

I had a bit of a whirlwind morning (you know the kind — blink and suddenly it's lunch), but I’m catching up now! 🏃‍♀️☕ Thank you all for your patience, for your adorable, heartfelt entries, and for just being your lovely selves — I am soft and squishy with gratitude!!! 🧡

Cozy Cuddle Week Rules!!!

Allowed Ratings:

— G and T only (no M or E for this one!)

— Nothing NSFW or explicit please, we’re keeping it soft, safe, and fluffy ✨

Tags & Warnings: Please tag any potential mild angst or emotional intensity clearly, especially if there’s a dip before the fluff kicks in.

Allowed content:

— Canonverse, modern AU, fluff, found family, friendships, cuddly romance, cozy domestic vibes, anything you want!!

— Angst is allowed but must end in comfort/happiness

— Actor x reader/character is welcome as long as it's respectful (no parasocial dynamics please or anything encouraging stalking, bullying, doxxing etc💕)

Not Allowed:

— No violence, death, SA, trauma focus, graphic content, or bullying in or around the event

— This is a fluff-first event, for safe cozy creativity 🫶

To Be Accepted:

— Tag this blog aka @rivendellwatch on your Tumblr post so I can find you!

— If you prefer privacy, DM me directly on there!

— I won’t accept AO3-only entries from people who aren’t connected on tumblr or who are currently blocked on there (you can read more about that on tumblr, in the cozy cuddle week starter post if you missed it)

🖇️ AO3 COLLECTION IS NOW LIVE!!

You can start posting right away!✨ Here's the AO3 collection:

🔗 Cozy Cuddles Week 2025 (TROP & LOTR)

(If you run into any issues, please don’t hesitate to send me a raven—or, well, a DM! 🕊️✨ I’ll do my best to review and accept your work as swiftly as possible. But do keep in mind I’m the only elf scribbling through the submissions scrolls—consider me your very own Lindir, poring over every tale to make sure it fits the gentle, fluffy spirit of the event! 🍵🧡 Thank you for your patience and your cozy creations!)

🎡 WHEELS GALORE!

Feeling indecisive? Want to add a little randomness to your fluff? I've got you covered! Here are the wheels I’ve prepared:

🧙‍♀️ Character Wheel – for those “who should I write about?” moments!! ! Here is the link for the character wheel!!

🧸 Soft Prompts Wheel – found family, soulmates, platonic softness, parental fluff? Spin away! Here is the link for mini prompts wheel!!!

🪄 Cute Word to Include Wheel – a sprinkle of sweetness to challenge your muse! Here is the link for the cute word wheel!!

Need inspiration? Here's a prompt list!!! You’re welcome to pick freely, mix, remix, or spin the wheels to generate something fun!!

These prompts are optional—just here to help spark ideas and joy!!!✨

1./ "You’re cold. Get over here." – One character dramatically refuses to admit they’re freezing, until they’re forcibly tucked under a blanket by someone exasperated but fond.

2./ Sleepy Pile™ – Too many people, one couch, and an accidental nap that turns into a dogpile of limbs and warmth.

3./ “I made us a blanket fort.” – Bonus points if it's barely holding itself up and someone absolutely bumps it down mid-cuddle.

4./ "Did you just use me as a pillow?" – Yes. Yes, they did. And now you’re not allowed to move.

5./ Tired warrior cuddles – After a long day, someone just drops their armor/weapons/cloak and flops into someone else's arms with a dramatic sigh.

6./ “You smell like home.” – Said into someone’s shoulder, half-asleep, maybe a little too honest.

7./ Rainy day cuddle sesh – Thunder in the distance, tea on the table, and one character who pretends not to like cuddles but is clearly loving it.

8./ “I’m the big spoon tonight.” – Cue struggling to wrap around a much taller partner or friend with pure stubborn determination.

9./ "You're snoring on me." – Soft complaint, but they don’t actually want the other person to move.

10./ Platonic cuddling champion – The one in the group who always ends up with someone asleep on them, whether they asked for it or not.

11./ Nightmare comfort cuddle – Someone wakes up panicked and is gently (or firmly) pulled back into a hug and told they’re safe now.

12./ “You brought a hot water bottle?” “No, I am the hot water bottle.” – Human furnace character doing their civic duty.

13./ Grumpy x Sunshine cuddle combo – One grumbles the whole time, the other is absolutely snuggled in like a sleepy cat. Guess which is which.

14./ "I can't fall asleep unless you're right here." – Bonus if the other person is flustered by this sudden revelation.

15./ Post-battle cuddle huddle – Everyone survived, emotions are high, someone starts crying into someone else's arms and then it's just a tangle of quiet relief and holding each other.

And now… time to bestow upon you five new prompts to inspire your fluff-writing, art-making, heart-melting selves:

1./ “Slow morning cuddles” – stretching like cats, sleepy smiles, shared socks 2./ “Tent troubles” – one person can't figure out the sleeping bag, the other is laughing too hard to help 3./ “Bubble bath bonding” – rubber ducks are mandatory 4./ “Breakfast battle” – who gets to flip the pancakes, and who nearly flips the whole pan 5./ “Wildlife rescue date” – they find a baby animal and now it’s their child, sorry, they don’t make the rules

🎀✨ CUDDLE WEEK: BANNER TIME, BESTIES ✨🎀

Since a bunch of you absolute sweethearts said you loved the banners during Fluff Week (which genuinely made me kick my feet like a lil hobbit receiving second breakfast 🥹), I’m very happy to say—they’re back!!💖

Below you’ll find the banners for Cozy Cuddle Week, freshly made with love, glitter, and exactly 17.5 mugs of hot tea ☕ (the .5 was spilled during a minor wheel-making incident, don’t ask). Feel free to add them to your posts, AO3 links, promo blurbs, your secret love letters to your OTP—go wild, cuddlebugs!! 🧸💌

If you're feeling fluffy, here is a bingo card with prompts!!

As always, if you need anything — help, an extension, a virtual hug, or someone to scream with about fluff or fandoms — just DM me or poke me here or at @maul-of-shame!!!!!

Thank you again for making this event so special. You all are absolutely delightful and I hope you’re enjoying the cozy chaos as much as I am ☁️🍪✨

[cheerful-sixears]

Sooni is my original Fictionself/Self insert. More often than not, I'm a creechur and not a hooman. So, Sooni has always been that creechur when not a pweeple. full traditional piece by @starscrumpt who wanted to draw Sooni again, for me. Sooni is mine. I might indulge our DreadBeast stuff here, over time, or I'll create a page manned by Scrumpy and me for this kind of world building.

His Transformers design || [Link]

•🪶•

•Name: Sooniper Wesley Brickenden

•”Sooniper” came to light as a result of his deadname, “Juniper” which resulted in a hybridized variant of “Sooni” plus “Juniper” is where "Sooniper" came to be.

•Commonly Known As…: Sooni or Syn…“WraithHeart”

•Nickname(s): Sooni, Syn, Poe, “Swiss”

•Species: Dreadbeast™ [with chimeric qualities of other animals]

• ©  @megatrxnic  + © @starscrumpt

•…A Winged Nuisance™…a Wraith’s Conduit™...Devil's Advocate™...Your Choice, Really…

•Age: 29 years, ages slowly; [Creator is 29 years]

•Gender: Demiflux (Trans-Masculine; demiboy) 

•Pronouns: he/him/his & dread/dreadself

**Documented Pronouns: He/Him/His

•Sexual Preference: Demi-??? (Masculine/Femme-Leaning)

•Generally fluid, but very timid about even considering an established acquaintance with someone, unless he feels a spiritual or strong attachment to anyone in the first place.

•Occupation: Paranormal Investigator & Cryptid Protector 

•Height: 5’3”

•Weight: 300+ lbs

•Common Phrases: “Yes’sir’”, “Lordy..”, “That’s so weird” [affectionately], “YOH, Bro..”, 

•Accent: vague, yet lazy southern accent

•Years spent masking resulted in his relaxation and stress levels depending on his overall show of vernacular. 

•He has a natural mimicry, in part with bird genetics, that allow him to mimic voices and vocal patterns/accents. 

•🪶•

••Abilities:••

•Necromancy

•Clairvoyance Magic [Early-Advanced]

•Spectral Alchemy

•Summoning Sorcery

•🎨•

•MBTI: INFP-T (Mediator)

•Moral Alignment: Neutral Good

•Personality: 

(+) -Courageous, Respectful, Caring, Humble, Protective, Faithful, Gentle, Insightful, Modest, Friendly…

(-) -Blunt, Reclusive, Childish, Hostile, Self-Centered, Meddlesome, Overly Dependent, Oblivious, Temperamental, Attention Deficit…

•Hobbies: Necromancy, Writing, Drawing, Deep-Dive Research, Reading, Cooking, cryptozoology, obscure trivia, early decade horror flicks, Jaws/shark horror, Eldritch horror, dark, moody poetry, gothic themes, soft pastel grunge, especially pink, 

•✨•

••Sooni’s Theme Songs:••

•Dead By April-My Tomorrow

•Dustin Lynch-Small Town Boy

•LifeHouse-Unknown

•Pogo-Living Island

•Echo 3-Peek-A-Boo [cover]

•✨•

•Quote: "Self-acceptance with a gentle calmness is the key to inner peace within a mind of tumultuous uncertainty."-Sooni (usually spoken in an encouraging tone to those in need.)

••Random Facts:••

•Sooni cannot rest or sleep without some stuffed animal in his arms or within close scent-range.

•Sooni has scars littering his forearms and a few scattered here and there upon his upper arms and shoulders. This is due to severe anxiety-driven scratching and digging at sores.

•The scars on his right elbow are from a Dread-child accident (five Years old). Some say-those who knew him then-that on that very day is when he discovered his clairvoyance and ability to bridge gaps between an existing spiritual realm and the material plain. It was a terrifying discovery for him. Dreadbeast don't normally become aware of their clairvoyance and spiritual connection until they are much older and pass through a rite to do so. 

•He always acts childish when not getting his way and becoming temperamental as a result. Sometimes, he may also end up mute for minutes to hours in a day. On worse occasions, these episodes may last for days.

•One of Sooni’s quirky developmental facts is that his humor and spontaneity can be relatable to that of Jim Carry’s role of Ace Ventura.

•Sooni’s personality also carries similar, chill traits from Gregg, the fox character in Night in the Woods.

•He also carries some unhinged aspects of the character of the same movie title, Donnie Darko (2001).

•🪶•

••Random Facts(From Creator):••

•Sooni (previously referred to as, “Katy or Suni-Kat”...) *winces* was originally, physically designed back in 2006, although his visual was concrete in mind three years before, back in 2002. I spent a long time switching his visuals over the years to greener tones and scales, back to the bat/canine-esque visuals he has today. I mean, as a young one, who doesn't spend most of the time changing little aspects of a character with every single detail somehow changing?

•He was originally designed after watching Jeepers Creepers, and then seeing the sequel a couple years later kept his visual appearance ever-changing and…yeah.

•Today he’s turned back around to square one, with his oldest concept I managed to scrounge up from around 2006-’08. (I cannot completely confirm the ACTUAL date this was drawn…as it is literally that old, and years of moving from home to home, bad situation after horrid ones, nothing was really ever saved.)

•The DreadBeast™ species was an early concept that was floating around in my headspace for years until we decided to utilize it again-with Sooni and Milo, funnily enough-after years of dormancy on the concepts. Originally brought into fruition back in 2013-2014, we are determined to keep it alive somehow, and we realize-what better time than now?

[benjaminsisko]

i'm just curious what is your title about?

ooohohoo buddy, i am SO glad you asked!

THAT line is a lesser known benjamin sisko line, but one that i consider to be from one of the most endearing scenes with ben and his family. it's from season 7 episode 1: image in the sand at around 35 minutes in, if you want to see the exact scene. it's the one with jake right before that bajoran guy stabs him.

it's just a little scene that doesn't really have any effect on the episode or anything. it's just a cute moment with jake where ben has just finished up shucking a bunch of bags full of clams for joseph's creole restaurant.

jake comes up and asks him how many clams he's cleaned, and ben says "a lot! that was my last batch...but then i got to thinking.... maybe I'll take a couple of sacks tomorrow on the runabout; give me something to do on the way to tyree."--and he just...he says this so bitterly, man. he says the word tyree like a man who is being forced to wade through knee-deep horse shit. so jake, being jake--jake who grandpa joe makes do all the menial tasks around the kitchen (as any family restaraunt does lmao) peel the shrimp, chop the okra, wait tables, etc. is like "you're kidding right??" (disbelief mostly, but you know there is REAL FEAR just beneath the surface)

and ben looks at him and he gives him that dad voice? the one where your parent looks at you and just says "[name]...." in that voice where you know they're implying you're being kind of a goofball right now? he goes, "jake....if i never see another clam--"

"--it'll be too soon!" jake says this along with him, to their mutual amusement. they have a laugh and ben takes this towel he was holding (he was just shucking clams) and he whips jake's ass with it like you do in the locker room (wet towel)(clam juice in the towel)(SMELLY) and goes "WOO!!" and kinda walks away a little while whistling a jaunty tune.

idk what else to say about it other than i just really love the subtle layers of family dynamic on display, but since it's such a minor scene, that's about it.

but it's fucking everything to me. more than the big epic speech from in the pale moonlight, more than his unhinged javert shenanigans in for the uniform (which i also am SO normal about i prommy), benjamin sisko becoming a silly guy with clam shucking fatigue and palling around with jake is just such a good moment to me. i guess especially because it's good to see him have such a sweet moment of familal levity while he's going through Some Shit™ for like. the entire episode otherwise.

AND he immediately gets stabbed afterward. CLASSIC fucking sisko moment.

[phoenixiancrystallist]

Day 320, pout has shade! Also tweaked the mouth on Confused because it's been super dinky tiny and bugging me. It's better now n_n

One more row and then I get to go back to the poses I didn't like enough to ink and try to get something better with them! Woop woop! *\o/*

[herbs-and-poultices]

Ways for characters to say thank you without actually saying thank you ('cuz sometimes they don’t want to, and sometimes they don’t have to)

The duo who always have each other's backs

The Nod™ (especially effective in the midst of a battle when time and hearing acuity are limited)

"You still owe me one."

A wordless slap on the back or squeeze on the shoulder afterwards

Team leader to a newer / less experienced teammate

"You have good reflexes."

"[Chore] can wait until tomorrow."

“I... think I probably don’t have to tell you just how reckless that was.”

Just in the nick of time

"Took you long enough."

"Good to see ya."

"Oh, look who decided to show up.”

“There was no need to rush, I was only [precarious situation].”

Rescue

Letting themself go limp in their teammates' arms (especially if vulnerability / physical closeness isn’t usually their style)

"What part of ‘stay out of danger’ do you idiots not understand?"

“Well, you didn’t have to carry me...”

Field Medicine

“Is there anything you don’t have in your pack?”

“You seriously brought [thing they actually need] this whole way, just because you thought it ‘might come in handy’?”

“Considering the alternative...”

“Yeah, I... I think I can make it the rest of the way now.”

Recovery

A tired smile

A slow and deliberate eye blink

A soft sigh of relief and relaxation and (relative) comfort

A hand that lingers on an arm or shoulder a moment longer than strictly necessary, maybe giving a small squeeze before letting go

[obaewankenope]

"Listen," I say as calmly as I can considering the Situation™. "It was funny and kinda cool when you were a 'god' but I did not sign up for this added responsibility."

"You are skilled in many things, have wonderful talents, and were a mortal worthy of elevation," they reply and honestly, they sound so confused I'd feel bad if I wasn't the one stuck with a whole new problem and sub-problems right now. "It is an honour."

I sigh. This is... Its clearly a reoccurrence of the communication problems we've had the entire time we've been friends. It's like culture clash except instead of accidentally offending someone I'm apparently a 'god' and there's nowt I can do about it.

My mother always did say I was special but I'd prefer if that still just referred to my ADHD, damn it.

"I get you think it's an honour, I appreciate that you think I'm worthy of this... Godhood, but you didn't ask for my consent to this change," I explain as patiently as I can. I'm really clinging to my calm, patient exterior I rely on when counselling, but it is a Very Near Thing. "Consent is important, especially when it comes to giving a gift to someone that can change their whole life. I'm unhappy that this can't be undone, according to your- our fellow gods, and I didn't have the choice to refuse beforehand."

They're quiet, clearly working through what I've said, translating it into a thought they can understand. Hopefully they'll understand what I'm trying to tell them.

"I... I apologise for not informing you before your elevation," they say, slowly, like they're feeling out the words and sentence structure. For all I know, they might be. "Going forward, I shall inform you of gifts and honours you are worthy of before they are bequeathed to you."

That's close enough to recognising consent for now that I'm going to get. It's a work in progress, but most friendships are work. This one just includes having power over all things mental health. Which, not going to lie, bit weird but I'll take it.

"In such spirit, I shall inform you of your secondary elevation tomorrow in recognition of your kindness and dedication to duty," my friend-who-is-not-going-to-be-a-friend-for-very-long-I've-just-decided says brightly wth their sunshine smile.

I can't kill my friend. But by go- by me do I want to right now.

You thought your friend was just a little delusional with their whole…insisting they were a god business. But it was nothing too severe, I mean, you got a good laugh out of it sometimes. That was until they convinced the other gods to make you one as well…

[squeakyfir]

Stow-Away (Jaws 1975) (X Child! Reader)

Description:

Stuck on a populated island with an abusive father with only one way out but hard to reach.

A boat.

Born on Amity island and losing your mother at the age of two, it left you with your father who was caring at first but then became abusive. You had too escape. You thought about sneaking onboard to a boat but now that a massive man eating shark was threatening the waters, the town stopped the flow of boats leaving the harbors out of fear.

You were stuck.

Until…

You see a boat preparing to leave the island. That was your only option, jump aboard and hide until gets to another port.

But… Oh boy… What these men were doing was not what you expected.

They were out on the water… To catch the man eater themselves…

I do not own the cover image. All rights of that image, characters and story belong to Universal Studios™. I will be adding my own twists but the main things belong to Universal Studios™

Chapter 1

Next

An evening's heat was poured onto the small island of Amity. This town had little to no troubles at all. Most was just noise complaints, the local kids getting into mischief and a very few number of accidents. There was nothing to turn the heads and cause shock from the locals. All of the people on Amity island knew each other well due to it being a small town. It was peaceful and secluded.

But being secluded wasn't always the best. Especially in your case.

You didn't really have friends and wouldn't talk to other adults that much. You were always on the move that it was starting to become a bit concerning. You were mostly seen at the store and on the beach but that was basically it. You live with your father in a small house on the island and were always afraid of what tomorrow would bring. It was because of your father. 

"GET IT DONE, NOW! I'LL BE BACK IN THIRTY MINUTES AND IT BETTER BE DONE! GOT IT"!

"yes"

"GOOD"!

Your dad left the house and slammed the door shut. You were alone with the task of cleaning the house once again. You sighed and knew you had to get started. As you grabbed the broom, you looked up and saw a family picture of you and your parents. Your father looked so happy and so did your mother. You have a very very vague memory of her since she died when you were two. You are now seven years old and your father now despises you. He blamed you for your mother's death, deciding that you were nothing but a waste.

You stopped looking at the picture and got to work. It was too much for a young kid. Some of the work required you to be on a ladder, which is dangerous. You had fallen many times but your father didn't care. He only seemed to be concerned if you broke a bone, to which he would then sigh dramatically and take you to the hospital saying you accidentally fell but not from a ladder. Sighing once again after only a couple of things have been accomplished, you looked out the window and saw the beach in the distance. It was lifeless which was still strange considering what was happening on the island.

Amity island is known for its beaches but because of a man-eating shark, there was no way people were going in the water. Especially boats. All fishing and sailing boats were told to not go out into the ocean and could only sail in the channels until the situation was dealt with. It was a problem for you considering that a boat was your only way out. But anyways, you kept working until you heard the door slammed open. "YOU BETTER BE DONE"!

You didn't respond and only jumped down from the step ladder that was helping you be able to do the dishes. You ran and hid underneath the table and heard his heavy footsteps coming into the kitchen. You tried to keep your tears at bay and saw that he left the door opened. He walked into the kitchen and saw that the dishes were halfway finished and looked enraged. He marched upstairs demanding that you come out of your room at once.

Not wanting to deal with him anymore, you sprinted out the door and down to a harbor. Your little lungs were gasping for more air but you knew that your father would know by now that you got out. As you kept running, you had to stop to catch your breath and noticed that you were near cranberry hill road and also saw a boat with people putting supplies on it at the last boat house. They must be leaving! This is your only chance! You went over and hid yourself behind a wall to watch and wait for an opening. You could see the name of the boat.

"Orca"

It was a small and decent sized boat, but it looked like it could conceal you. As someone moved over, you could see the floor on the boat and saw two small hatch doors. It was big enough for you to hide down there. It would be hard to reach it but you had to take it. Once people had their backs turned, you sprinted for it and made it on the boat and quickly got through the door but that doesn't mean you were quiet. As you shut the door, you heard a man say, "What was that"?

"Somethin' must've fell".

You couldn't see anything except the bright lines of light that shined through the cracks of the door. You then heard a startling sound; the engine of the boat was right next to you, and you gasped loudly when the sound occurred. Luckily, it was loud, so it muffled your gasp. The loud sounds from the engine were silenced a bit and the boat started to move.

Not knowing what was going to happen, you kept your mouth and nose covered from the engine fuel and hoped that this would be over fast.

[funkymbtifiction]

I'VE FINALLY GOT IT, MY TYPE

I've been spiraling for months having a huge big boy type crysis that sent me all over my headspace and into forums. My whole sense of self was completely unchecked! I think I was spending that entire time in a Ne-Te loop. It's clear I use Ne, I don't even know where I got the idea otherwise. I'm constantly pulling abstract analogies and metaphors out of (seemingly) thin air and slapping connections together that don't seem to make sense and I'm throwing silly what ifs left right and centre like I'm a really hectic retail employee who's rapidly running out of time. I think I misunderstood the idea of Se *within myself* for what was overactive Te being heavily critical of any Ne idea that desired to be explored, the Te was like a angry scientist who really wasn't happy with any buzzing noise that Ne made and would wack it every time. Where was Fi in this analogy? Locked in a cage, unchecked and unable to be checked. The Ne-Te grip had me tight, I only realized all this properly today because I had a huge breakout about The Self™ - realizing I had been neglecting my own idea of myself, and struggling to even identify who I am, was or display myself to be anymore bc it was missing for so long.

I think another thing to consider is that I neglected to even think about how I could be confusing my enneagram 7w8 for Se traits of exploration and sensation seeking. Seems obvious now but like.. That's hindsight

Okay big rant I know, but I figure if people wanted any examples of a loop leading to a heavy mistype indication, this might be of some insight right? And naturally any commentary is *greatly appreciated*, you're a huge pillar in the community (atleast to me 🤷‍♂️) and so your knowledge and stuff stuff means a lot to read and understand! Can probably tell how energised this epiphany has gotten me 😅😪

P.S - also realized my partner is an ESFJ not ENFP, Si too high, Ne too unstable and Fe too obvious 👀

I'm pleased that you are so happy about potentially finding your type. It can feel great to settle on something after analyzing it for so long (but if you are an ENP, by tomorrow you will be questioning it again, heh). And yes, 7w8 especially with sp (?) can seem Se-ish in its desire for sensual experiences.

Since you welcomed commentary -- as you don't explain what you think Te is/does, or how you use it beyond a broad generalization, I can't say whether you are correct. An ENTP would also shoot down irrational ideas, but Te and Ti do it in different ways. Interacting with you the last few months, I've assumed you are ENTP. To "prove" a type to yourself (or to others), you must come up with real-life examples using all the functions in your stack -- eg, how I use Ti and Fe daily, or how I use Fi, and Te daily.

Merry Christmas! :)

[addictedtostorytelling]

Just discovered your account, and as I am on a CSI nostalgia kick, I decided to write.

After watching the new promo/trailer, do you think that there is anything a bit sinister about Grissom/Sara's return.

I have gotten the feeling that they possibly want the audience to feel that way. These are two characters that for 20 years we have trusted as the good guys, but with all the twists that are being promised, is there a possibilty that you think the writers my pull a fast one on the audience?

hi, anon!

welcome! now is a great time for a csi nostalgia kick; there's so much going on in the fandom atm. (and i'm sure that there's even more to come, with paleyfest '21 happening tomorrow.)

re: the possibility that grissom and sara are perhaps returning to vegas for some sinister purpose:

my short answer is that, for multiple reasons, i don't think that the show is going to set grissom and sara up to be "bad guys" in the fabrication case. however, it may be possible that the show will introduce some other kind of twist with them, especially beyond what we've already been shown so far in the trailers.

more discussion after the "keep reading," if you're interested.

__

so.

i definitely don't think that grissom and sara are going to be presented as "bad guys" or as having been knowledgeable of and/or complicit in the fabrication to any extent.

for one thing, i don't believe that billy and jorja would have signed on for this project if that were the direction it was going to take their characters.

they both love the goodness of grissom and sara too much to sacrifice it for the sake of a cheap plot twist, and jorja in particular has talked a lot about how she views sara as a hero.

that so, i think that if the concept they'd been pitched were anything along the lines of "surprise! grissom and sara have actually been duplicitous, conniving slimeballs who've been sabotaging cases this whole time!", they'd have said, "absolutely not. we're not going to resurrect these beloved characters just so that we can retcon their heroism out of existence and make them into something they never were."

they wouldn’t want to destroy these characters, who are their legacy, in that way.

the fandom would never forgive them.

—and especially not because doing so would undermine the integrity of the entire original series, which would not only be cruel to the long-time fans and a poor writing decision on the whole—who would ever rewatch the original csi again, knowing that everything that had ever happened on it had essentially been a lie perpetrated by its main characters?—but also a bad marketing decision, making it harder to sell its syndication and streaming rights in the future.

another reason why i don't think that grissom and sara are going to be presented as being complicit in the fabrication is because it wouldn't make sense for them to be from a storytelling perspective.

just in terms of their characters, that’s not who they are. they are two genuinely good people, and we’ve been shown that they are time and time again over the course of 15+ seasons. we’ve seen too much of their genuine care and investment in their cases over the years for it to make any sense that they would have participated in this fabrication, and particularly if we consider how much they both sacrificed over the years in order to work the sacred job™ (i.e., their social lives, their personal safety, their mental health, their ability to be together in s1-s5, their marriage in s13-s15, etc., etc.).

the girl who got kidnapped and almost killed by the miniature killer and (temporarily) lost the love of her life in order to keep working at the lab is not going to take part in bringing that same lab down, you know? 

and that’s just on a character-level.

it also wouldn’t make sense for the grissoms to be behind the fabrication in terms of plot.

after initially being investigated as potential suspects in the fabrication case and then (presumably) cleared, grissom and sara are going to join with maxine roby and her team for the rest of the season to find out the truth of what happened.

now.

if it turned out that grissom and sara were actually responsible for the fabrication but roby and her team nevertheless still cleared them of any involvement and came to trust them enough to let them be part of the investigation going forward, only to later figure out that they were actually culpable, well—

honestly, that wouldn't be a great way to start out the new show and establish the competency of the new characters.

presumably, everyone on the production team wants csi: vegas to get picked up for multiple seasons, but that's not gonna happen if the first thing they do is make it so the new characters are all immediately shown to be fools.

this new team is going to look into grissom and sara as potential suspects to start out with, and if they don't find proof of their guilt then, to have them find it later would be a mistake, as allowing them to be duped in that way would make them look like idiots right off of the bat.

they're going to have every opportunity to vet the grissoms and process them, so if there's any dirt to be found, they'd better find it immediately and not get lulled into a false sense of security.

if you're the reboot writers, you don't want to show that these new characters are dumb enough to be tricked by the old ones (even though they have superior technology at their disposal and the benefit of hindsight), and especially not over such a long period of time.

if they're going to work with the grissoms for weeks/months on end on this case, then the longer they go without figuring out that the grissoms are "bad guys" (if that is in fact the case), the worse they look by comparison in the end.

the new characters need to be shown to be smart and capable. they need to be able to get actual solves.

if they end up inadvertently letting "foxes into the henhouse" and then continuously working with said "foxes" over the course of an entire season, then they come out seeming pretty inept, and that's not a good look on a show where the audience has to buy into the idea that the heroes are a bunch of super-intelligent scientists whose rigor generally leads them to the truth.

i mean, the writers are walking a delicate tightrope as it is, what with calling into question all of the work that the original team graveyard did in the flagship series; striking that balance between making the fabrication case compelling and erasing all of the good, intelligent solves that the old characters made is going to be extremely difficult.

to my mind, making grissom and sara bad guys who both tricked their coworkers in the past and are currently tricking this next generation of criminalists would nerf any chance they had of accomplishing that task right from the get-go.

it would basically invalidate all of the old show and make the new show an exhibition of police incompetence.

the only people who would come out looking even remotely intelligent would be grissom and sara themselves, and nobody would be rooting for them at that point anyway.

there'd be no joy in them making suckers out of everyone they've ever known, past and present.

so, really, if the writers went that direction, cui bono?

nobody.

moreover, it would also be a self-sabotaging move to make the grissoms the bad guys because at some point they would have to get caught, and once they were, their ride on the new show would be over. most likely, they'd be thrown in prison, and then that would be the end of their arc.

based on how heavily grissom and sara are being featured in the promotional materials for the new show, the production team knows that they are what the majority of viewers are going to be tuning in to see.

that so, they're definitely aware that writing a storyline where these two characters end up being removed from the narrative at the end of s1 (and especially under unfavorable circumstances) is not going to be in the best interests of the project.

that's not what anyone is going to want to see.

so if getting renewed for a s2 is the goal—which it is—then grissom and sara have to be able to stick around and continue working with roby and the other good guys.

—and that outcome can only happen if they are actually good guys themselves.

on top of everything else, yet another reason why it wouldn't make sense for grissom and sara to be behind the fabrication is because the timeline just doesn't work out.

yes, the fabrication goes back 20+ years to exactly the time when grissom became night shift supervisor and sara started at the lab, and on a surface level, that timing may seem suspicious, but here's the thing: if the compromised cases truly span from 2000 to 2021, then grissom and sara can't have been involved in tampering with all or even most of them, just because they (verifiably) haven't been at the lab or even in vegas for a lot of that time.

we already know from the trailer (where we see names on the case files that are visible in some of the shots) that two of the cases that will be reopened as part of this investigation are the “green blood” case from episode 08x15 “the theory of everything” and the serial killings of jenny carroll from episode 14x16 “killer moves.”

sara wasn't in vegas at the time when the first case was originally being investigated, and grissom wasn't in vegas at the time when the latter case was.

in fact, looking back, there were lots of periods between november '07 and september '15 when either one or both of them weren't in las vegas (or even in the continental united states) and in fact were provably working jobs abroad.

that so, unless they had multiple accomplices, then there's no way they can have been responsible for fabrications dating back to those periods.

there are just too many "gaps in their résumés," you know?

now.

all of the above said, while i absolutely do not think that grissom and sara are at all responsible for any of the fabrications, i do nevertheless believe it's possible that there's more going on with them when they return to vegas than initially meets the eye—that there's some other kind of twist that could happen, where they're concerned.

i can't say i get the same "sinister" vibes from their behavior in the trailers as you do, but i am very willing to entertain the possibility that there is perhaps something more to them coming back to vegas and taking part in this investigation than we've been shown so far.

as many have speculated based on grissom touching his ear in the trailer, it's possible that grissom is losing his hearing again.

if so, then in addition to coming back to vegas to help with the fabrication case, he may also be there to pursue treatment, either with or without sara's knowledge (depending on if she knows about his condition or not).

another possibility for that "additional wrinkle" to the grissoms' return is that they may actually be suspicious of some of the people involved in the investigation into the fabrication.

while so far the trailers have shown them working in tandem with maxine roby and her team, seemingly of an accord with them, it's not outside of the realm of possibility that maybe they aren't actually as trusting of her, her people, and/or the system surrounding them as these clips make things seem.

obviously, they know that they themselves are not responsible for the fabrication, and they probably trust that none of their old teammates are, either.

however, they may not be so sure if everyone involved with the current case is on the up-and-ups; they may suspect there is a mole or that someone involved (particularly on the state government side of things, like at the district attorney or sheriff-level) is trying to frame them.

if so, then they may feel as if the only people they can really trust in this whole ordeal are themselves, brass, and hodges.

maybe the only reason they agree to work with roby and her team is to get access to the lab and the case materials. maybe the relationships between them and these new folks are a lot more fraught (at least to start out with) than we've been shown so far.

yet another possibility is that this case is maybe somehow more personal for them than it initially seems.

while of course they have stakes in clearing their names and making sure that all of those old convictions that they worked so hard to secure still stand—as sara says in the trailer, their life's work is truly on the line—they may also feel compelled to work this case for more reasons than just those professional ones.

as the byline on the trailer that debuted on 08.04.21 suggests ("your reputation precedes you, sara sidle. win or lose, i've got plans for you"), sara may be a direct target of whomever is perpetrating this fabrication, and it's possible that grissom is, too.

if they're in actual literal danger from this person or people, then certainly that might give them some extra motivation to take part in this case.

another possibility is that either in addition to or instead of fighting on their own behalves, they may be trying to protect someone else.

we know from the trailers that brass gets attacked, but it's possible that he is not the only member of their inner circle in the line of fire.

in the tv guide interview, jorja specifically said, "there’s loved ones involved [in this case] and the safety of loved ones."

whether her use of the plural there is more general, referring to "loved ones" not just of grissom and sara specifically but of maxine roby and her team members, as well, or it particularly means "more loved ones of grissom and sara beyond just brass," we can't yet say.

but there is at least some chance that whomever is behind this fabrication is gunning for more than just the grissoms and brass; they may also be after catherine, nick, greg, etc., as well as other people whom the grissoms care about.

still another possibility is that there may be some kind of twist involving the grissoms' lives over the last six years that will come out of nowhere and stun us.

for instance, even though i don't personally believe it would be entirely realistic for them at this point, i wouldn't put it past the writers to perhaps give them a secret kid.

alternatively, maybe they've somehow become millionaires (as per the recent ew blurb where jorja mentions that they can now afford to stay in a swanky hotel, even though they couldn't have done so previously).

perhaps they're outlaws on the run for having committed eco piracy crimes.

i mean, given how little we've learned from the trailers about them and their lives since last we saw them in "immortality," really anything's on the table.

there's lots of room for some kind of big reveal.

anyway, all of this rambling is to say that while i don't think we're going to see grissom and sara made into villains, i do think it's possible that the show will find some way to surprise us with regards to their return to vegas and the circumstances surrounding it.

we've barely scratched the surface, in terms of what we know about the story being told in the reboot, so chances are there are at least a few shocks in store.

it just remains to be seen what they are.

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

[dandorishipping]

no title ten x cypher fic (bc brain empty)

i wrote a little fic with ten and cypher bc i was in my feels™ last night! been a while since i last wrote a fic so i'm a bit rusty but all and all i like how it came out :)

word count: 1942

warnings: none, but mention of past trauma/nightmares

under cut for length!

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It had only been a few hours late into the night that Ten found themselves awake, but either way, they knew that they weren’t getting much sleep at this rate. Honestly, they weren’t exactly sure what it was that was keeping them up. Was it stress? Tomorrow’s mission didn’t seem too hard, and even then, they got to sleep in a little bit.

They wished that their mind would at least cooperate and let them have the long rest they deserved, especially after the long day they had had. But no matter how they tried, it just wasn’t working. It was a miracle that it had even been a few hours, they had been tossing and turning so much it felt like time had slowed down- ironic, considering their control of time.

Unfortunately, that couldn’t help them in this case. They were nowhere near strong enough to speed up the entire night, and even just speeding up a little bit of time would leave them physically exhausted, too exhausted for tomorrow’s mission.

They weren’t sure what to do, and had plans other than sleep, though they weren’t sure it would work. It was super late, 2 AM in the morning, and they doubted that Cypher was awake.. If he was, he was probably working on his gadgets, and they didn’t want to disturb him when he was hard at work, especially when he was putting in all that energy that he would normally save for a mission.

But.. if he was up this late, and they were too, the very least they could do was at least scold him (gently) and tell him to go to bed? He had such a bad habit of staying up late into the night, sometimes even the morning passing out in his workshop where some other agent in the protocol would find him asleep.

They decided it at least wouldn’t hurt to find out if he was still awake, not like they would talk to him for long because he needed his energy for work, and missions, but to at least tell him to go to bed. They cared that much that he should at least get a good night’s sleep.

Getting up from their rather disheveled covers (mostly in part to the tossing and turning, but also in part to just being a bit messy) they put on the vest they normally wore day to day over their pajamas, hoping they would look at least somewhat presentable if they were to happen to run into anyone.

Stepping out into the hallway, they weren't surprised to see everyone else’s doors closed, the lights off. It seemed they were the only one having the problem of not being able to sleep. They sighed. His workshop, luckily, wasn’t too far from their room, and they had no problem finding it in the dimly lit hallways.

Taking out the keycard that he had given them that would unlock the doors to the workshop, the scanner read it with a beep before opening, and they were surprised to see that he had cleaned up a bit. The last time they had been in his workshop, it had been a lot messier, mostly spare parts all over the place. It seemed he had taken their words to heart and cleaned up a bit.

Unintentionally yawning, they stepped into the main room to find him hard at work tinkering on one of his gadgets- a camera that he used to set up on the battlefields. It seemed he had heard them coming way before, since he was already looking in their direction before they walked in. Before he could say anything, they spoke.

“You’re still awake? Come on, you need to go to bed. I don’t think Brimstone would be pleased to see you passed out at your desk again.”

He chuckled, putting the device down before looking at them. They noted that he had his mask off at this time, which made sense since no one else would be awake this late at night. He always seemed to have tripwires set up in the room too, which told him if anyone was coming.

“I could say the same of you,” he smiled- god, his smile was so nice, “Isn’t it past your bedtime?” he asked, his tone teasing.

Ten groaned. He was right, they usually weren’t one for staying up late. And usually, they would also put up with his playful banter but it was really way too late for this.

“Come on, don’t worry about me. You need to get to bed. Seriously. Think of Brimstone’s face staring at you with disappointment and maaaybe a bit of mild concern when you wake up. You don’t want that again, do you?”

“Well, that’s true. It wasn’t much fun having such a rude awakening. But why aren’t you in bed? Why don’t you tell me that first, dear?” They also noted that despite his words, he sounded exhausted.

“Well…” Scratching the back of their head, they frowned. “Listen. I just haven’t been able to sleep at all tonight. But don’t worry about me, ok? I’ll be fine. If you don’t get to be in a bit there will be problems.”

He smiled again. “Oh? Like what?”

They started to walk closer to him, until they were only about a foot or two apart, grinning playfully. “Or I’m gonna mess up your hair. You sure wouldn’t like that, would you?”

He raised his hands in mock surrender, grinning as well. “Oh no, this small and veery intimidating person is going to mess up my hair? What a travesty!”

“Haha, you’re so funny,” they joked, whacking him lightly as he laughed before putting their hand on his shoulder gently. “Seriously though, let’s get you to bed. Please. You can work on this when you wake up, so go to bed.”

He sighed, finally admitting defeat and getting up. “Fine. But will you work on things here with me too in the morning? It would make me happy.”

Ten thought. “Yeah, I think that should be fine. I have a mission to do later in the day, but I can probably stay here for like an hour or so. Then I gotta go out.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said, turning off the lights in the workshop. Luckily, his room was connected to his workshop, so it wasn’t far of a walk at all. “Be careful, though. I know I tell you this every time but I don’t want to come back to you being hurt.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s ok, I'll be careful.” They walked together to his room, and Ten stood by while he took his jacket off and put on some more comfortable clothes. Usually he didn’t have the biggest change in wardrobes, he mostly wore the same jacket and hat he always wore, but wore mostly sweats when he slept.

They watched as he got into bed- finally, and they walked over and tucked him into bed. It felt a bit silly to do, almost like something a parent would do for their child, but it brought them comfort to know he would at least be getting his rest- even if it was only a few hours. Their job was done, and they could go.

“Well, sleep tight. And don’t let the nightmares bite. If you have any, I’ll beat them up personally,” they joked, smiling. “Please try to get some sleep though. Hopefully you’ll do better at it than I have.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m quite capable of fighting those nightmares myself,” he laughed, yet he seemed a bit distant. It seemed like something was wrong. They weren’t sure how they knew there was, they just knew.

“Hey. Is there anything wrong? You seem a bit off.” Seeing him frown at their question, they walked back to his side, crouching until they were at eye level to him on the bed. He wiped his brow, shaking his head.

“No, no. It’s nothing, really. Just…” he trailed off, looking away for a moment. “Just some nightmares I had last night. About… you know. About what happened in the past.”

Their heart sank a bit hearing that. They had known that he had recurring nightmares about his past, but didn’t know how recent they had been. They had only been joking, really, about not letting the nightmares affect him but now it was more serious.

“Oh… I’m sorry. Really sorry, really. Do you want to talk about it or anything?” They asked, looking at him with concern. There still seemed to be that sadness in his eyes, it was somewhat consistent when they talked face to face and it was also the same sadness they had seen when they saw his face for the very first time. It wasn’t an overpowering, dominant sadness, but more of a sadness that lingered deep within.

“Honestly, not really,” he started, his hand on their shoulder as a reassurance. “I mean maybe tomorrow, when we’re both more awake. I… actually know something that could maybe help, but it could get both of us in trouble. If you’re up for it, I mean.”

Upon hearing his words, Ten immediately knew what he meant- sleeping in the same room as him. They had done it a few times in the past when he had suffered from nightmares, but they had gotten caught once while doing it and had gotten a very brief (and very awkward) scolding from Sage and Brimstone. They didn’t really enforce the rule much, but it was still nonetheless a rule that agents were to sleep in their own rooms.

“I mean, yeah, that would help, but… You know what happened last time. It was really awkward. I mean, of course, I’ll do it if it helps, but are you sure you wanna go through that again?”

“It should be fine. I mean, I’ve increased the security of this room and now there’s even more tripwires that will alert me to their positions. A camera, too, and also as a safety measure I’ve-” “-Yeah, ok, I get it. I mean, if you think it will work… then, fine.”

“Thank you.” He smiled, he almost seemed giddy like a little kid at their words, but as long as it would bring him comfort, they would do it for him. Shrugging off their vest on the floor, they climbed into bed with him, and his arms were already waiting for them as they entered his warm embrace.

Turning the lights off, they were met with a comfortable silence and they were plenty warm under the covers with his body heat against them. They yawned again, and felt his hand playing with their hair in bed somewhat mindlessly, mostly out of exhaustion.

“Hey, this isn’t sleeping,” they joked, turning to face him in the darkness. “Can’t be asleep if your hands are doing things.”

“It calms me down,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around them again. “Just reminds me that you’re here with me, I guess. But fine. I’ll just hold you, if it makes you so happy. That works too.”

They hummed, pleased with the outcome. “It does. Thanks. You can do that all you want tomorrow, ok? Just close your eyes and try to focus on sleep.” Reaching out in the darkness, they found his lips and gave him a brief kiss that he gladly returned before returning to attempting to sleep again, this time much more comfortable than they were before with someone holding them. Maybe this was a good idea, after all.

“Alright. Goodnight, Chen. I love you.”

“Goodnight, Aamir. I love you too.”

[jaynes-literary-opinions]

Benefits of living in the True North™ include a general lack of motivation 😃

Just finished my physics homework, so I finally sat down to read The Paper Menagerie!

Hopefully I can get through this very soon because it’s been a while since I started. Sadly, I haven’t gotten a lot of time recently, but all I’ve read has been stunning!

This makes for a cozy read especially considering the circumstances outside 👀 hopefully tomorrow’s snow isn’t terrible (unlikely) & that I have a review-and-thoughts post up for TPM soon :)